Landmines
by justanoutlaw
Summary: Pandora's Box compliant. Tink watches Odette and Derek's garden party from a tree, thinking about the lives August and Emma are forced to live.


This is a flashback for my story, Pandora's Box. I put it on AO3, but never on here. If you haven't read that fic, this isn't going to make any sense. It's just something I haven't been able to fit in, because it's from Tink's P.O.V. Anyway, if you do read this story, this takes place before Derek tore her and August apart. Title was inspired by the Jordin Sparks song.

 **Warning:** Child abuse is heavily implied here.

* * *

If her time in Neverland had taught Tink anything, it was how to see things without being seen nor heard. So, she spent the majority of the garden party hidden up in a tree, watching it all go down. Before, she could care less about a royal family's gathering, but this was different. She wanted a peek at August. In the past few days, Emma had been the one to sneak her provisions, as he had been busy preparing with the knights.

There he was, in all his glory. He looked absolutely ridiculous in the clothes his mother had selected for him, they were a bright blue and had some weird design. God, did he look uncomfortable. A far cry from the riding clothes he typically wore when he snuck off to see her. Despite that, he was incredibly handsome as always. His dark curls stayed in one place and he had shaved, exposing his adorable nose. His sword stuck out of his belt, ready to be drawn at a moment's notice.

Only she would fall for a knight. All she could wonder is what Blue would say.

 _Well look at Nova and Dreamy, she probably would've convinced him that your happy ending was without him…_

There were days that Tink missed Nova, though rarely the others. She understood they were under Blue's reign, but they looked down at her for being different. Forget Blue, she'd never miss that retched fairy. If she had her wings, she probably wouldn't have ended up dodging poisonous arrows from Pan and the Lost Boys, avoided that drunk pirate's groping…

But then, she also wouldn't have found that coconut that lead her to where she was. Which would mean no Emma, how she loved that princess. She wasn't like the typical royalty she had met. She was fierce, brave and loyal. It would also have meant no August.

The man she loved. The man that couldn't even tell his parents of her existence.

She understood why. The king treated his adoptive son terribly for his beginnings, of course he would be the same to a disgraced fairy. August was sure Odette would understand, maybe, but it wasn't worth the risk. Tink was his secret and she was okay with that. There was something about being all his. Yes, she was friends with Emma, but that was a little different. They were friends and she wouldn't trade that for the world.

With August, though, there was a flutter in her heart. There was the way she smiled for hours after he gone. She felt safe, she felt love.

She felt wanted.

Tink watched as a girl with dark hair, wearing a ghastly lime green dress approached August. He gave her a small smile and they politely chatted for a bit. The girl tilted her head to the dance floor and Tink saw him shift uncomfortably. Before he could say anything, Tink saw who she could only guess was Derek walk over. All he did was practically push the two into each other's arms, watching them with that…look. It took all Tink had to not climb out of the damn tree and walk over to him, punching him in the face.

Tink _hated_ Derek. She didn't care how August excused the bruises that lined his arms or the words his "father" said. He was terrible. This was all without meeting him and just hearing stories. What kind of "father" berated his son for wanting to be honest? What kind of "husband" cheated on his wife and then threatened to lock his son up if he uttered a word? There was one thing that Tink knew. He wasn't lying to Emma because he was scared of losing his daughter, he was scared of losing the one person that didn't know what a colossal asshole that he was.

Maybe Tink didn't know much about family, but she knew that August deserved better. She couldn't even be jealous of the girl he was dancing with. She could see Emma hanging back, looking super uncomfortable being in the crowd. No one dared to go near her, as if they were scared. No one understood her magic very well. She deserved better too, she deserved friends. She deserved the truth about where she came from.

They had done so much for her and all she wanted was to return the favor. There just wasn't much she could do without her wings or pixie dust. Instead, all she could offer was her tree house as a safe haven. A place where they could vent. A place where the youngest could have a friend and the oldest could feel loved.

A place where Tink finally felt like she had a family.

* * *

Until Derek ripped it away from all of them, that is. I hope to have the next chapter of Pandora's Box up very soon.


End file.
